Thanks.
I'd like to welcome our colleague, Mr. McColeman, to the committee and commend him for his efforts in this regard.
The experience of the British home children was a significant part of building Canada. I believe something like 100,000 British home children arrived in this country between the 1880s and the early 1930s. While many of them had very positive experiences and had welcoming families and were able to have a future moving out of terrible poverty in Britain during that period, we also recognize that many of them experienced very difficult treatment, and in some cases abuse, and certainly we acknowledge that fact. This is what you're helping to educate Canadians about, their contribution and their important role in our history. I commend you for that.
Certainly for all parties, private members' bills and motions are free votes, but the cabinet always votes taking a government position, and I'm pleased to inform you that the cabinet has decided to support this motion, because we think it's a great way of highlighting this remarkable period in our history.
This is joined by various other educational efforts supported by federal departments and agencies. For example, I understand that Canada Post intends, on the advice of their commemorative stamp advisory committee, to issue a special British home child stamp in 2010. I understand that Pier 21, the new federal museum of immigration, has done exhibitions on their experience and will continue to, as has the Museum of Civilization across the river in Gatineau. Your motion I think will help to bring these different initiatives together at the federal level to raise awareness. Really, as you say, it corresponds to what we're trying to do in our new citizenship study guide, “Discover Canada”, which is to give people a better sense of our history.
I think Mr. Young was asking about how you get copies. We'll be getting printed copies, and I'll be letting all MPs know shortly, and asking them how many copies they want to order to distribute within their constituency offices, or wherever. If people would like to get their own copies, they can contact us online or they can download it from our website at www.cic.gc.ca.